| Category | Business Development |
|---|---|
| Time to Run | 5 min |
| Difficulty | Quick Win |
| Output | |
| Client-Facing | Yes — goes directly to client |
You just delivered something your client is genuinely excited about. Maybe you shipped a process that saved their team 10 hours a week. Maybe you closed a gap they'd been complaining about for months. The engagement is humming, the relationship is warm, and they'd happily recommend you — if someone asked.
Nobody's going to ask. That's your job. Run this within 48 hours of delivering a win, while the result is still fresh and the goodwill is at its peak. The longer you wait, the more the glow fades and the more awkward the ask becomes.
Copy the skill file below and save it as referral-ask-builder-SKILL.md. Upload it to Claude along with the inputs listed above to generate your referral email.
---
name: referral-ask-builder
description: >
Generates a warm, specific referral request email after delivering a client win.
Use when the relationship is at its warmest — right after you've shipped a result
the client is excited about.
metadata:
author: "Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders"
version: "1.0.0"
date: "2026-04-25"
---
# Referral Ask Builder
Turns a recent client win into a warm, specific referral request that makes it easy for your client to say yes and act.
**Core Principle: Name the win before you ask for anything. The specificity of the result you cite determines the quality of the referral you receive.**
## What This Skill Does
**Job 1: Anchor the ask to a specific outcome.** This skill takes the result you just delivered and frames it as the reason you're reaching out — not as flattery, but as context that makes the referral request make sense. The client needs to see their own win reflected back before they'll extend your reach.
**Job 2: Lower the friction of referring.** Most consultants ask "know anyone who could use my help?" — which requires the client to do all the thinking. This skill gives them a specific profile to match against and a simple action to take. One forwarded email, one introduction. That's it.
**Job 3: Protect the relationship tone.** The email must feel like a natural continuation of the engagement, not a sales pivot. The ask comes after the acknowledgment, and it's framed as trust — not need.
### Section 1: The Win Anchor
Open with the specific deliverable and result. Name what you did and what happened because of it. Use the client's language where possible — if they said "this saved us 10 hours a week," use that phrase.
This matters because a generic "it was great working with you" triggers the client's spam filter. Specificity signals that you're writing to them, not at them.
Format: 1-2 sentences. No bullet points. Name the deliverable, name the result.
What to look for: If the user provides a vague result ("it went well"), push for a number, a quote, or a before/after comparison.
### Section 2: The Bridge
Transition from the win to the ask. The bridge sentence should connect their result to the type of person who'd benefit from the same kind of work. Pattern: "That result is exactly what I help [type of person] achieve."
This matters because without a bridge, the referral ask feels transactional. The bridge makes it feel like a natural thought.
Format: 1 sentence. Links the specific outcome to a broader pattern.
### Section 3: The Specific Ask
Describe the ideal referral in concrete terms — role, situation, or symptom. Not "anyone who needs help" but "another [role] who's dealing with [specific problem]." Give the client a face to picture.
This matters because vague asks get vague results. A specific profile triggers the client's mental Rolodex.
Format: 1-2 sentences. Name a role and a situation, not a service.
### Section 4: The Easy Action
Tell the client exactly what to do. "Forward this email" or "make an introduction" or "share my name." One action, stated plainly.
This matters because every additional step halves the conversion. Make the path from "yes" to "done" as short as possible.
Format: 1 sentence. One verb, one action.
### Section 5: What to Skip / What to Watch For
**Leave alone:** Don't mention pricing, packages, or your availability. The referral email is not a sales pitch — it's a trust transfer. Adding commercial details contaminates the tone.
**Watch for:** If the client responds warmly but doesn't refer within 2 weeks, note it for your next touchpoint — don't follow up on the referral ask directly. If they do refer, send a thank-you within 24 hours regardless of whether the referral converts.
## Quality Check (Internal — never shown to the user)
| # | Check | Fix |
|---|-------|-----|
| 1 | Does the email name a specific result, not a generic compliment? | Replace any "great working with you" with the actual deliverable and outcome. |
| 2 | Is the referral profile specific enough to trigger a mental match? | Add a role title and a situation/symptom. |
| 3 | Is the ask a single, clear action? | Cut to one verb. Remove any "or if you prefer" alternatives. |
| 4 | Does the tone feel like a continuation of the engagement, not a pivot to sales? | Remove any language about your services, pricing, or availability. |
| 5 | Is the email under 150 words? | Cut. Referral asks that run long don't get read. |
**Enforcement:** Run all 5 checks. Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite actually improved the output before presenting.
## Rules
- Never mention pricing or packages in the referral email
- Keep the total email under 150 words — shorter converts better
- Always name the specific deliverable and result, never generalize
- The ask must specify a role and situation, not "anyone who needs help"
- One call to action only — don't give the client options
- Don't use the word "referral" in the email to the client — it sounds transactional
- Sign off warmly but briefly — no multi-line signatures or PS lines
- If the client result is vague, ask the user for specifics before generating
## Output Format
**Subject:** Quick thought after [deliverable/project name]
[Client first name],
[1-2 sentences naming the specific win — what you delivered and the result they got. Use their language.]
[1 sentence bridging their result to the type of person who'd benefit from similar work.]
[1-2 sentences describing the ideal referral — a specific role dealing with a specific situation.]
[1 sentence with the easy action — forward this email, make an intro, share my name.]
Thanks for trusting me with this — it means a lot.
[Your name]
---
**Signal-to-Action Traceability:**
- **Signal:** Client achieved a measurable result → **Do This:** Name that exact result in the opening line
- **Signal:** Client expressed enthusiasm verbally → **Do This:** Mirror their language in the win anchor
- **Signal:** Client's industry has peers with similar problems → **Do This:** Name that peer profile in the specific ask
## What Makes This Different
A standard referral request says "know anyone who could use my help?" and hopes for the best. This skill forces you to name the specific win, describe the specific person, and give the specific action — which means your client doesn't have to do the thinking for you. The result is a referral ask that gets forwarded because it's easy to forward, not because the client feels obligated.
---
Copyright (c) 2026 Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders
This skill is licensed for your personal and business use. You may run this skill inside your own practice and share the outputs it produces with your team and clients. "Your practice" includes employees and contractors engaged to perform work for your business under your direction — virtual assistants, operations support, bookkeepers, and similar team members.
You may not share, distribute, resell, or repackage the skill file itself — including this SKILL.md document, its prompts, frameworks, and structure — with anyone outside your practice. This includes peer practitioners, other consultants who would use it in their own client work, and anyone outside your operating team. Written permission from Kathryn Brown ([email protected]) is required for any redistribution.
This skill is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
The output is a single email under 150 words — ready to send as-is. It opens with the specific win you delivered, bridges to the type of person who'd benefit from similar work, names that person in concrete terms, and closes with one simple action for your client to take. No editing required unless you want to adjust the tone.